'Snake Venom' Beer Might Be the Strongest in the World

Beer lovers beware: Here is a challenge you might not want to take on. A beer called Snake Venom (dreamed up, perhaps in a nightmare) by the U.K. brewing companyBrewmeister, is now apparently the world’s strongest beer, with an ABV of 67.5 percent. For reference, most liquor, like vodka and whiskey, have an ABV of about 40 percent.

The English barley beer is too alcoholic to be carbonated, another distinguishing characteristic from basically every other beer on the planet.

“The liquid is too dense and therefore it cannot hold the bubbles in the same way a standard beer can,” a spokesperson for Brewmeister told Thrillist.

So why create a drink so face-puckeringly alcoholic that it’s stronger than taking a sip of straight vodka? Apparently, the whole endeavor was an effort on the part of the brewery to create a challenge for themselves.

“We decided to create it as an experiment," the spokesperson explained. “The company had tried other strong beers in the past and we realized that there was a demand in certain export markets, including the Chinese market."

The beer isn’t yet available for purchase in the United States, but if you happen to live in the U.K. or you’re visiting soon, Snake Venom retails for a hefty $76 per bottle. And you can’t sip it like a regular beer either: The brewery recommends drinking it in 35 ml portions at a time (similar to the amount that can fit in a shot glass).

In the market for more weird beer? You’re in luck. Brewers are master experimenters and have created strange concoctions in their medium of choice: Scientists at the National University of Singapore have developed a probiotic beer, while this "toilet" beer is brewed with recycled wastewater. There's even fried chicken beer and a beer inspired by lobster bisque.

Testing out all the oddball offerings the beer world has to offer would probably take you a lifetime. If you decide to try this one out, do so at your own risk.